MegaBucks for Friday's MEGA Millions California Lottery Jackpot

Count them—eight zeros!

The California Lottery MEGA Millions game has a half billion-dollar jackpot for Friday night’s draw. That's an all-time record of $500 million.

And lottery outlets are bracing for the onslaught of new purchasers.

Ponder that for a moment. Half a billion dollars; $500 million. Either way you say it, it's a whole lotta cash. 

According to the CA Lottery, the estimated cash option for Friday’s draw is $359.4 million and the retailer who sells the jackpot-winning ticket will receive the maximum bonus of $1 million. For reference, the largest MEGA Millions jackpot ever won was $390 million in March 2007.

The big jackpot could mean instant financial security for some lucky person and a chance at some serious philanthropy.

What would you do with it, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills residents? Retire for life? Er, stay retired in comfort?

Or ... Help pay for the city's planned civic center? Build a tenth campus for Los Altos School District? 

Put your answer in the comments. Tomorrow Los Altos Patch will publish a poll to try and determine readers' favorite philanthropic ideas for a potential lottery winner living in our communities.

Oh, and don't forget to buy your lotto ticket by Friday at 8 p.m. PST! 

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